Friday Harbor T65As family of Biggs Orcas and going ashore on Yellow Island

June 20, 2019 – Cut the lines and leaving Friday Harbor and the T65A Transient Orcas were at the harbor entrance. The WA state ferry Samish drifted alongside us as the Orcas were hunting and a little later the backward swimming suggested they were sharing a meal. We travelled with them to Point Caution before they began travelling quickly on the San Juan shoreline escaping the strong ebbing current. We saw them again briefly at Limestone Point as they quickly travelled West.

Continuing to Spieden Island a bald eagle watched as we slowly edged against 5 knots of current. Once clear of Green Point we drifted with the strong ebb which follows a few days behind the full moon. The flat calm fast moving emerald water carried us along the forested shoreline where mouflon sheep grazed on steep slopes listening to the calls of bald eagles. We explored the harbor seal haul outs and kelp forests cutting between the Cactus Islands.

We then came South passing a few Harbor Porpoise and anchored in the lee of Yellow island. A shore visit with our tender to walk across the island and explore tide pools and beaches at low tide. An early dinner, refered to as ‘linner”, or ‘lupper’ in the shelter of the Wasp Islands before a fast sail across the Channel back to Friday Harbor.